This is just a round up post of my first ever ‘brand spotlight series’ with the first brand being NARS.

First of all, where to purchase NARS.

Apart from the usual suspects like Sephora (US) & Mecca Cosmetica (AUS), I’d like to point your attention (especially those who aren’t in the US) a fantastic website I like to use to get my NARS fix – Kiss & Makeup NY. This website is a god-send! They sell not only NARS but also other brands like Laura Mercier, Deborah Lipmann, Smashbox at US retail prices. Shipping is very reasonable too – $9.95USD flat rate for us international ladies!

Generally, NARS blushes will see you forking out $26USD/$49AUD & you get 0.16oz/4.5g of product. Lipsticks are $24USD/$58AUD with 0.12oz/3.4g of moisturising lip colour for you. As for the multiples, the mother load of them all, $39USD/$79AUD & you get a whooping 0.50 oz/14.2g of product.

The original multi-purpose stick for eyes, cheeks, lips and body. Its unique, creamy formula blends effortlessly to provide sheer color for creating shimmering accents, contours or dynamic highlights on all skin tones. Creates perfect, glowing complexions and is conveniently designed for failproof application.

Pinkish brown.

I say…

It is a deep red wine colour with hints of plum & brown tones. It does have some subtle gold shimmer but this is hardly noticeable when applied. In the tube, it looks daunting & scary. I mean when I first saw it, I was just kind of like WTF? What a dark shade. How would you ever wear it? Lo & behold, I started experimenting with NARS Malibu multiple & found that it is quite a universal shade afterall.

I applied it by dabbing NARS Malibu multiple on my cheeks & then blending it with my fingers. It stays dewy & glowy & doesn’t just disappear & mattify throughout the day. In terms of wear, it lasts all day on me!

I’ve also tried wearing NARS Malibu multiple on my lips. It dries down to a powder-like finish on my lips so I find that I have to use a bit of clear lip balm so they don’t look flaky.

As for wearing it as an eyeshadow, I haven’t tried as I tend to steer away from shades like this on my eyes. Makes me look scary lol.

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NARS Malibu multiple is sold as a multi-use product but I find that this particular shade works best as a blusher.

These multiples are freaking huge & the price tag reflects this. For $39USD/$79AUD, you get a whooping 0.50 oz/14.2g of product & seeing as you only use a little bit each time, this thing will last you a lifetime (or two…)

I like the NARS lipstick formula for Dolce Vita as it is quite moisturising. According to their website, this is due to the vitamin E content which is nourishing & non-drying. Also, NARS Dolce Vita lipstick is part of their sheer lipstick range meaning that the “long lasting color pigments have been suspended in this translucent formula to provide a sheer, natural tint” and that it does!

NARS Dolce Vita lipstick

The great thing about NARS Dolce Vita lipstick is that it’s buildable. You don’t want to look overdone? Not a problem. A swipe of this gives your lips some colour but not too much. Want to change it to a dramatic lip look? Sure thing – another swipe or two & you’re good to go!

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Bare lips - natural light

Lip swatch - natural light

I also think it’s a great beginners’ red lipstick. It’s not too out there that a beginner to red lips would feel self-conscious about in public.

This truly versatile highlighting product may be worn on its own or layered over other color products for added highlight and dimension. The soft shimmering color will add instant radiance to any complexion, and may be used on the face and body.

However, once applied, it gives you that elusive ‘glow from within’ that you’ve been searching for. Okay, maybe not you YOU but me! It gives me the glow I’ve been on the hunt for. It has this amazing warm yellow golden glow that I just love. The shimmer is very finely milled & this contributes to that glow as it doesn’t look greasy & you don’t look like a disco ball 😉

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Please note that this was swatched heavily & obviously when you apply this, it’d be with a much lighter hand!

NARS Torrid blush is very similar to NARS Orgasm blush. It may be a shade or two darker than Nars Orgasm blush. In comparison to NARS Orgasm blush, NARS Torrid blush is much much more pigmented & the golden shimmer is quite subtle. It is much more of a true coral as opposed to NARS Orgasm’s peachy pink coral.

NARS Torrid would work very well on those with darker skintones as it’s pigmentation is unbelievable! I use a duo-fibre brush similar to MAC’s 188 brush to apply this.

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NARS Torrid, Orgasm & Deep Throat are all essentially from the same colour family with different nuances here & there & with different amounts of peach v pink in each. I will have a comparison swatch picture posted up for you in my NARS blush round-up post.

First of all – Francois Nars, you are not a man of many words, are you?

Secondly, NARS Gina blush is a straight up matte (no shimmer here) peach. In the pan & when swatched, it does pull a bit orange but on my cheeks, it becomes a muted peach. I love the matte texture – it isn’t chalky at all & very pigmented!

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NARS Gina blush was my first matte blush ever & before that, I had minor reservations about matte blushes – would they be chalky? Are they hard to apply? Would it look blotchy? NARS Gina blush weren’t any of those. Such a dream to apply & has convinced me to try other matte blushes.

NARS Deep Throat blush is a great alternative to NARS Orgasm blush especially for those with darker skintones.

They say…

Peach with shimmer.

I say…

NARS Deep Throat blush is like the much pinker sister to NARS Orgasm blush. NARS Deep Throat blush is similar to NARS Orgasm blush in that they’re from the same family in terms of colour. The shimmer in NARS Deep Throat blush is much more subtle than its counterpart in NARS Orgasm blush.

In my opinion, I feel like NARS Deep Throat blush is much more universal than NARS Orgasm blush. For one – it is much more pigmented. Secondly, the shade, whilst more pink, is more natural on skintones ranging from fair to dark.